When To Send Wedding Invitations, Save the Dates, and RSVPs

You've picked out your top three wedding venues, confirmed your bridesmaids and groomsmen, maybe even hired a wedding planner. It seems like it's all coming together, but it can be tricky to plan a wedding when you don't yet have a final headcount.

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Everything from the budget you set with the caterer to the seating chart is determined by your guest count. That's why you don't want to wait too long to get those rsvp response cards out. To help make it super easy, here's everything you need to know about when to send wedding invitations. 

When to send out wedding invitations

Here's a bit of a wedding invitation timeline to guide your process.

First things first

If you're planning on doing formal invitations with calligraphy and the whole kit and caboodle, your first step will be finding wedding stationery that suits your tastes as a couple. 

Save the Date Cards (ASAP)

Send these out as soon as you have a date picked to give guests ample time. With the pandemic, people will understand if you don't include the venue here.

For destination wedding invitations, you'll want to send the save the date card out at least a year in advance with the location to provide plenty of time.

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In addition to enough time to make travel arrangements, it also concerns budget. For any guests that can't make it in person, you can invite them to attend virtually with Lovecast.

Choose the type of wedding invitations (6 months - 1 year prior)

Decide what kind of wedding invitation format that you want to send out. With the pandemic, there's been a real focus on flexibility and what will make it most accessible for your loved ones to participate. That said, it's your wedding day, so do what feels right.

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• Physical invitation: If you opt for paper, most design studios like Minted will provide a complete wedding invitation suite that includes rsvp cards, wedding invitations, and even thank you cards— you can scale this up or down according to your needs (and budget!).

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• Virtual invitations: Companies like Paperless Post make it easy to send off invites to family members without having to step foot in a post office. If you have many international guests, virtual invitations can boost your budget. The templated designs and custom options provide many options that guarantee an extraordinary result. They also make it easy to give guests a heads up for any pending changes and vice versa for your guests rsvp.

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• Email link to the wedding website: If you're creating a website as a central place for photos, guest information, and wedding registry, it can be just as easy to email the link out to provide a one-stop-shop that's easy to adjust as you go through the wedding planning process.

Send the wedding invitations (2 - 4 months prior)

With wedding sizes trending toward intimate, you probably already know who will be able to make it and who won't. Make sure to include whether the invite consists of a plus one and any other important details like your livestream link for out-of-town guests. 

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Send all the invites simultaneously and avoid doing batches based on your rsvp numbers. Some guests can guess when they’re being added in at the last minute due to low RSVPs and even when they can’t, it’s just bad etiquette.

Sidebar considerations

Celebrating your nuptials will involve different parts, and some might even include a multi-day wedding date. Not everyone will get invited to all functions. Keep in mind that wedding invitation etiquette also consists of the various events surrounding the big day, which can be any of the following:

• Engagement Party invitations
• Bridal shower invitations
• Pre-Party or rehearsal dinner invitations
• Ceremony
• Reception
• Post-Wedding day brunch

If you have a strict rsvp deadline, give guests enough time to get their rsvp back to you in time to avoid your and their disappointment.

No one has to lose out with Lovecast

When finalizing the guest list, it's an excellent time to create your Lovecast livestream page. Invite friends and family from all over the world to witness you shine as a couple on your big day. Guests will be relieved to know that they can still be a part of the memories, even if from afar.